August 4 - War declared

England declared war against Germany on 4th August 1914.As a member of the Commonwealth, Australia was automatically at war with Germany.

August 5 - Mobilisation

Given the support that the Australian political leaders had expressed to the United Kingdom in the lead up to the war declaration, being a part of the Commonwealth, the general attitude among the majority of those who now called Australia home as being part of Great Britain, the broad acceptance by the Australian population that 20,000 troops would be supplied, the able bodied men now rushed to enlist.